Makeover Monday 3: New York, Washington D.C. and Toronto

A newly remodeled room at the Wyndham New Yorker hotel in Manhattan. Photos by Barb DeLollis.

This week’s Makeover Monday tells you about hotel renovation projects – in various stages of completion – in New York (the Art Deco-era Wyndham New Yorker), Washington D.C. (the luxury boutique Jefferson Hotel) and Toronto (landmark Sheraton Centre). If you’ve come across a renovation that you’re curious about, contact me at barbdelollistravels@gmail.com so I can dig into the story!

MANHATTAN: THE WYNDHAM NEW YORKER

Shortly after the tourist-packed New Yorker hotel joined the Wyndham chain earlier this year, management embarked on a major renovation project. The first thing customers will see are refurbished guest rooms that have more modern such as small N’espresso machine and a full-length mirror with a style in keeping with the Art Deco architecture. Given the year the hotel was built, the rooms are tiny – and that won’t change. The bathtubs will stay put, but the bathrooms are being updated with a new mirror, pedestal sink, tub refinish, lighting and flooring. Rooms will also come with robes. The hotel’s restaurants will also change, including the affordable Tick Tock diner at the highly visible corner of 34th and 8th Avenue. Travel Update previously reported that the hotel is installing a new, high end restaurant in and around a real bank vault.

The historic New Yorker hotel is now part of the Wyndham chain and is undergoing a major renovation. Photos by Barb DeLollis.

WASHINGTON D.C.: THE JEFFERSON HOTEL

With a noteworthy anniversary this fall, the 95-room luxury boutique Jefferson Hotel’s embarking on a $2 million renovation to refresh its rooms, hotel publicist Meredith Goldberg told me last week. The historic property re-opened five years ago after an extensive transformation, so this investment comes on the early side (most hotels will wait seven years to replace bedding, etc.) Repeat guests will soon see new mattresses, television sets and other soft goods in the rooms, Goldberg said. I’ll keep you updated as the project progresses. The hotel’s part of the Leading Hotels of the World marketing network.

The luxury Jefferson Hotel in Washington D.C. Photo by Barb DeLollis.

TORONTO: THE SHERATON CENTRE

The 1,400-room Sheraton Centre in November will launch a $90 million renovation, the Toronto Star tells us. Expect new bathrooms, upgraded Wi-Fi, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, updated hallways and more. As is typical with significant renovations like this, work will be done on a floor-by-floor basis to reduce noise and disruptions to guests staying in the hotel. Expect the project to last about a year, the Star’s story says. This past summer, the hotel replaced the windows in its guest rooms. The renovation comes as affluent Toronto visitors have seen new hotels open up such as the Trump Hotel, Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La and a Four Seasons.

An accomplished newspaper journalist (USA TODAY staff 2002-2013) and relentless social media enthusiast, Barb wakes up at dawn seven days a week to search for, write and edit stories that resonate with travelers and travel business insiders. She craves stories that teach us something about life or business, make us laugh, shed light on our future or help make our journeys a little easier– or at least more interesting.